The Emperor and the Scholar
by ChessKeeper
Summary: Bandits capture travelling scholars Spencer Reid and his mentor Jason Gideon. When the bandits discover Spencer will make more money being sold as a slave they decide to act. Luckily for Spencer Emperor Hotchner was their to 'rescue' him. Slash Hotch/Reid Gideon/Rossi


Title: The Emperor and the Scholar

Author: ChessKeeper

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Hotch/Reid and Rossi/Gideon also slight Lauren(Prentiss)/Ian Doyle

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal minds, and I don't even own the story prompt. I got it from a kink meme.

A/N: All mistakes are my own. I wrote this awhile ago and don't actually know if i'll finish it... depending on the reviews I'll see what I can do. Reviews are appreciated.

Summary: Bandits capture travelling scholars Spencer Reid and his mentor Jason Gideon. When the bandits discover Spencer will make more money being sold as a slave they decide to act. Luckily for Spencer Emperor Hotchner was their to 'rescue' him. Slash Hotch/Reid Gideon/Rossi

XXX

Chapter One

It was a cold winter day, the air was dry, frigid, and there was an eerie fog settling over the forest. The sun was low in the sky, but because of the denseness of the woods, it seemed much later than it actually was. There was a distinct smell of snow in the air.

Along a stretch of dirt road galloped a single carriage. Inside that carriage were two of the brightest scholars to grace the world.

The candles flickered as the wind gushed around the carriage making the occupants inside shiver. Both were bundled in several coats to defend against the bitter winter weather.

"Sir, how much longer until we reach Lady Strauss's manor?" A young man with semi-long brown hair asked cradling a thick ancient book to his chest and eyeing the older man across from him.

The older man replied, "Soon." Not raising his eyes from the scroll he was carefully examining. "Patience is a virtue Spencer." His eyes were squinted and solely concentrated on reading.

Spencer huffed and muttered under his breath, "Yeah well cleanliness is next to godliness and we have both seen your chambers. There is nothing clean in there."

"Reid." The older man's eyes looked up from the scroll a slight growl in his tone.

"Sorry." Spencer apologized and offered a small smile. "I'm just tired sir, and curious at why Strauss would send for us so late at night."

Gideon slowly returned the smile with an understand tilt of his head "I know. It's rather boring sitting in this carriage all day. It's hard to understand Lady Strauss's motives, but it must be important." Gideon paused and sat the scroll aside. "The constant droning of horse galloping is getting on my nerves, perhaps a game of chess to pass the time?"

Spencer nodded. "I'll get it." He stood; stretching sluggishly pleased by in the popping of his joint and turned around. Spencer shuffled across the carriage until he was across from Gideon. He reached above the seat on the shelf to get the chessboard when the carriage screeched to a halt.

The chauffeur shouted out and then everything was quite, much to quiet. There were no monotonous horse sounds. The air was silent.

Toppling to the floor in a heap Spencer felt his wrist snap with impact. Whimpering he struggled to pull himself up off the ground. Luckily, Gideon was quick to act he hauled the younger man up beside him effortlessly. Quietly he unsheathed a blade and pressed it to Spencer's unwilling hands.

"No-" Spencer feebly protested. He was horrible with weapons, because Gideon disliked violence and never taught him how to use a blade and it didn't help that he was clumsy.

"Hide it and stay here." Gideon commanded, not leaving any room for protests.

Spencer hesitantly nodded and with his non-injured hand held the blade protectively out in front of himself.

Gideon opened the carriage door and slowly creped down the rickety stairs. The sun was low in the sky and the surrounding forest made it difficult to see. Despite this, Gideon could see that the horses leading the carriage were missing and that their chauffeur was dead.

His body was strewn out in the middle of the road, without a head. The hair on Gideon's neck stood up and fear pricked up and down his spine. Gideon shouted to Spencer, "We need to get out of here now. Spencer run!"

It was then that Gideon saw the bandits. They were gruff looking men and they blended in with the surrounding area dressed in plain brown clothing.

The obvious leader of the bandits stepped forward out of the shadows. Instantaneously Gideon recognized his face.

Ian Doyle.

The door to the carriage creaked and Spencer appeared at the door his eyes wide and terrified. "What-"

"Run!" Gideon barked watching as the men drew their swords and advanced upon them. They were surrounded on all sides, but Spencer obeyed his mentor and darted for an opening escaping into the woods. Several bandits followed after him while the rest advanced on Gideon.

Gideon briefly let relief wash over him. Spencer was a fast runner. He had a much better chance of making it out alive then Gideon who was much older and not nearly as fast.

The last thing Gideon saw before the hilt of a sword crashed into his temple making him see stars and eventually nothingness, was a seemingly out of place man with glasses looming over him.

Then he blacked out and his head landed harshly on the dirt road. He was heaved to his feet moments later, tied up, and slung over a shoulder as the bandits made their way back to camp.

Spencer ran. He ran in zigzags dodging trees and roots. The sound of the bandits behind him drove his feet. The knife Gideon gave him felt heavy in his hand and briefly he heard his mentor in his head; Don't run with sharp things Spencer. Actually, don't handle sharp things, I don't want my mentee missing limbs or an eye.

Spencer ducked behind a large tree holding his breath. The three bandits fell for it and continued charging through the forest.

Spencer counted to two hundred, using the pulsing pain in his left wrist as a time, then he turned around and ran back towards the road. His feet pounded on the ground and his lungs burned with exertion.

It was now completely dark but their was a light up ahead and Spencer followed it. The dress parted and Spencer was greeted with the sight of their carriage in flames. His eyes burned and watered, he ignored the tears and turned from the fire. A single snow flake landed on his nose.

His attention was drawn the middle of the road, where there was a busted lamp. Spencer scooped it up ignoring the broken glass and brushed it off.

It was then that Spencer started considering his options. He could stay put and risk another group of bandits coming along- not to mention freezing to death or he could start walking.

The snow started to pick up turning into a light flurry. Shivering Spencer tightened his jacket around his frame and with a sullen glance at the burning carriage; he started walking in the direction of Lady Strauss's manor. He hope in a few hours when they hadn't made it to her manor Lady Strauss would send a search party, all he needed to do was keep moving and try to stay warm.

Spencer followed the road until it forked off into two different paths. One looked treacherous, while the other looked well traveled.

He had only been to Lady Strauss's manor twice. The first time he slept the entire way there and the second time they left Lord Morgan's estate, and that way looked nothing like what was a head of him now.

Gideon always said Sometimes the most obvious, and easy paths are not necessarily the right ones. Spencer shuffled his feet trying to decide if his mentors cryptic knowledge applied to this situation.

Honestly, he didn't want to take either path. He just wanted to go home and go to sleep in his nice bed and wake up to have breakfast with Gideon, but that wasn't going to happen. Spencer wasn't an idealist, he was a realist and with this in mind he chose the easy path.

Meanwhile in the bandits camp they had a huge fire roaring and everyone was in high spirits. It was common knowledge who they had present in their camp.

Jason Gideon was a genius, and a well-loved member of the scholar board who in turn had great alliances with the Lords and Ladies of the kingdom. In short, they all knew their stomachs would be filled with ale and food for many days.

Jason Gideon's ransom would be paid, and it was a steep payment.

They would get a hefty random for Jason Gideon, but even more if they could find the boy.

"I want him found Lauren." Ian hissed reclining back onto his fur lined chair. "I need him found."

Lauren nodded understandingly and filled Ian's wine glass again. "Try not to worry too much. I'm sure Foyet can find him. He's an expert hunter, and they boy may be a genius but he's nothing compared to Foyer's tracking abilities. "

"Yes but he seemed to give Tobias, Gabriel, and John the slip earlier."

"Foyet will clean up their mess." Lauren said fluttering her eyelashes up at Ian.

"Yes." Ian smirked sloshing the wine around in his glass before downing it in one sip. "Come here my darling. Enough talk of work."

Lauran picked up the wine glass and walked across the room gently setting in on the table. "Like the view?" She asked unlaseing her corset and twirling for him. Ian grinned, his old yellow teeth gleaming in the candlelight. "Good, because it's all for you."

Gideon could hear them. Try as he might nothing could block out the sounds that woman- or banshee was making. He covered himself in the thin blanket and tried to think of anything but the 'Oh Gods' and the 'Faster Ian'.

His mind went directly to Spencer. The boy had all kinds of knowledge. He was a walking encyclopedia, but in the wilderness all of those things were rendered useless. It was the middle of winter and snowing quiet heavily now. He would need to seek shelter or risk certain death.

He was scared for Spencer; his mentee meant the world to him. The boy was young too, they had just celebrated his 22 birthday a few days ago. Gideon tried to remain calm but their were just so many uncertainties.

He shivered and shifted in the cell. It was wooden and small. In the front it was attached to horses and on the back there were iron bars. Gideon could just make out the center of the camp from where he was.

The camp was loud, filled with the voices of drunk and lustful men. It disgusted Gideon. His mouth was dry and his throat burned with bile just waiting to come rushing up.

Distracted with his thoughts he didn't notice a man approach him stumbling. "Hey there." The man leered collapsing into the iron bars and sliding to the ground in unconsciousness.

Gideon heaved a sigh of relief. He needed to get out of here. Bandits were notoriously sexual; they exact opposites of scholars and monks.


End file.
